The smart TV standard has been designed to provide an enhanced experience to the viewer over the traditional TV. Typically, the smart TV includes two separate inputs: (a) a traditional TV port for receiving traditional TV channels from a TV content provider, e.g., cables or satellite provider (hereinafter, a “traditional mode watching”), and (b) an Internet port for receiving TV channels from the Internet (hereinafter, “Internet mode watching”). The viewer can select at any given time whether to view a channel through the traditional port or through the Internet port.
The Internet mode watching provides many enhanced options to the viewer not existing in the traditional mode. For example, the Internet mode enables the viewer the option of chatting with others while watching a TV channel, activation of a “picture in picture” in order to simultaneously watch several channels according to his preference, to combine Facebook and Twitter features with the TV content, to operate the TV without the use of set-top box, and more. As noted, the essence of the smart TV resides in the Internet TV mode, not in the traditional mode, and there are many advantages for the viewer in watching the smart TV in the Internet mode.
One typical way by which a user may access a TV channel in the Internet TV mode is by means of activation of a widget. In this case, the widget is essentially a user interface which accesses the channel provider, and activates the streaming of data to the smart TV. Widgets of specific channels can be purchased, for example in “Appstores”, or in many other cases these widgets are distributed for free in various Internet sites.
While in the traditional mode of watching the viewer has a signed contract for a package of channels with a domestic, well known content provider, this is not the case while watching a channel in the Internet mode. Even when paying for a widget, the viewer does not know for sure who the real provider of the widget is, and therefore, the reliability of the streamed content is doubtful. In other words, the viewer may be subjected to a content spoofing while viewing content in the Internet mode. For example, a viewer who watches the Bloomberg channel for business purposes assumes that the share rates appearing on the screen of his TV are indeed the rates as provided by Bloomberg. While viewing the Bloomberg channel on a smart TV in the Internet mode, a content spoofing may deceive him to believe that he is watching the authentic Bloomberg channel, but in fact he watches a false channel which provides him with false data, that he may count on in his decision making.
Various manners for authenticating Internet sites are well known, and the field for providing said authentication is commonly referred to as DRM (Digital Right Management). The existing solutions to this problem may be classified to three groups: (a) certificate based solutions; (b) encryption based solutions; and (c) watermark based solutions. All said common solutions are relatively complicated, therefore most of the Internet mode content for smart TV is typically provided unencrypted, without watermarks, and does not use certificate, leaving the viewer uncertain with respect to the authenticity and reliability of the content. In view of this situation, a viewer who wants to ensure the reliability of the content, typically reverts to the traditional TV mode in which the same content is provided by the traditional TV provider, rather than watching the channel in the Internet mode. However, as noted above, the traditional mode does not provide many features that are available at the Internet mode.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,793 discloses a system with GPS, which in turn provides to a server means for determining whether a TV receiver is located in an area with permission to view a transmitted content, and in the affirmative case, the permission to view the content is granted.
US 2010-0017627 discloses a system for verifying content which is based on encryption, decryption and signature.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,650,504 discloses a system and method of verifying the authenticity of dynamically connectable executable images, which is based on a digital signature.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and system for authenticating smart TV content, particularly but not exclusively, channels that are provided by means of widgets via the Internet.
It is another object of the invention to provide said method and system in a manner which is independent from the conventional authentication methods that use a certificate, encryption-decryption, and/or watermarks.
It is still another object of the invention to provide said method and system in a manner which is most suitable for smart TV, and which is efficient, reliable, and simple.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.